Bolster



y 1943 H. H. SHAFFER 2,318,427

BOLSTER Filed June 9, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 N 1111'. Jhafwr .3} I g} BY INVENTOR.

y 1943- H. H. SHAFFER 2,318,427

BOLSTER Filed June 9, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JLIZJ/zaffer IN V EN TOR.

By M.

Patented May 4, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOLSTER Harvey H. Shaffer, Berwick, Pa.

Application June 9, 1942, Serial No. 446,371

Claims.

This invention relates to bolsters such as used in connection with railway rolling stock and isdesigned more especially as an improvement upon the structure disclosed in Patent No. 2,254,831, issued to me on September 2, 1941.

While the adjustable features of the center plate of the bolster in the patent referred to have i been found advantageous under many conditions, nevertheless there are conditions under which it is not desirable to lift the car frames excessive distances above the truck bolsters in order to effect the desired adjustment of the center plate and it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved structure in which the car body can be jacked up only a few inches, vertical adjustment of the center plate of the bolster then made, and the body lowered onto the truck. the operation being eifected in a simple manner without fully disconnecting any of the parts.

A further object is to provide a bolster the adjustable elements of which are cushioned so that pounding otherwise present is eliminated.

A still further object is to provide a structure of this character in which the adjustment of the center plate of the bolster can be effected without the use of any special tools other than the equipment necessary to lift the car body relative to the trucks.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of a bolster provided with the present improvements.

Figure 2 is a section on line 22, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section through the recessed center portion of the truck bolster, the adjustable center plate being shown elevated in the recess prior to being adjusted to a desired position.

Figure 5 is a developed or extended view of the interfitting portions of the recessed bolster and the center plate, following adjustment of the center plate one step away from its lowermost or normal position, the interfitting portions being shown in section.

Figure 6 is a section through a portion of the body center filler or casting showing the upper portion of the king-pin partly in elevation and partly in section, the position of the key in the king-pin when shifted to free the bolt, being indicated by broken lines.

Figure 7 is an enlarged section on line '!1, Figure 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, I designates a portion of one of the bolsters of a railway car which is of course extended under the sills 2 and bolsters 3 of the car body, it being understood that a center filler or casting 4 is secured between the sills and is provided with a central bore 5 for receiving a king-pin 6. This king-pin has a head I at its lower end while its upper end is slotted at 8 to receive a key 9 slidably and pivotally mounted therein, the said key, as illustrated particularly in Figure 6, being formed with a longitudinal slot I 9 through which extends a pin I l. Thus the key can be supported in either a transverse position as shown in full lines in Figure 6, thereby to prevent the king-pin 6 from being withdrawn from bore 5 or it can be swung into position longitudinally of the kingpin as shown by broken lines in said figure to permit withdrawal of the king-pin or bolt.

The center plate of the body structure has been indicated at l2 and is of the usual construction, it being located where the king-pin 6 can extend through it. This center plate l2 has a. circular bearing member or bolt l3 extending downwardly therefrom and concentric with the pin 6, said bearing portion being removably seated in a circular recess I 4 formed in the upper end of the adjustable center palte l5. This adjust able center plate has a central bore H5 in which the lower portion of the king-pin 6 is located, there being a counterbore IT for receiving the head 1 of the king-pin and said head being held removably in the counterbore by a spring crossplate l8 bridging the counterbore and having its ends seated in notches I9 formed in opposed portions of a recess 20 in the lower end of the center plate l5.

The center plate It: is provided on its outer surface adjacent to its lower end with parallel tongues 2|, 22, 23 and 24 arranged in a group, any desired number of these groups being located around the center plate l5. In the drawings five of these groups have been shown, the tongues of each group being regularly spaced apart and the tongues of each group also being stepped downwardly in a crosswise direction. In the structure illustrated tongue 2| can be one inch long while tongue 22 is two inches long, tongue 23 three inches long and tongue 24 four inches long. The longest tongues extend to the bottom face of the center plate I5. All of the tongues have their upper ends in the same plane.

The center plate I is rotatably and slidably mounted within a central recess 25 in the bolster I which extends under the body structure as shown in Figure 2. The depth of this recess is substantially equal to the height of the center plate I5 and there is provided an annular shoulder 26 within recess 25 having grooves extending downwardly therefrom. These grooves are arranged in groups and in the structure illustrated there are five groups of four grooves each. The bottoms of the grooves are stepped upwardly in regular succession in each group, the longest groove 21 being extended downwardly to the bottom of recess 25 while the next adjoining groove 23 in said group terminates above the bcttom. Groove 29 in said group is still shorter while the fourth groove 30 in the group is the shortest. These grooves are so located that when the plate I5 is in one position the long tongues 24 are seated within the respective grooves 21 while the shortest tongues 2I are seated within the respective grooves 30. Tongues 22 project into grooves 29 while tongues 23 extend into grooves 28. When the tongues and grooves are thus located relative to each other said tongues bear downwardly on cushions or pads 3| of rubber or the like so that the upper ends of the tongues 2I to 24 inclusive are in a plane supported above and out of contact with the shoulder 25 as shown, for example, at the right in Figure 2.

When the long tongues are seated in the long grooves the plate I5 is in its lowermost position. As the long tongues are approximately four inches long, it will be obvious that the body of the car can be adjusted vertically relative to the bolster I simply by jacking up the body a little more than four inches so as to permit the center plate I5 to be raised four inches to lift tongues 24 out of the grooves 21 as shown, for example, in Figure 4. With the car body thus jacked up and the plate I5 supported by the king-pin 6 from the center filler 4, said center plate l5 can be rotated relative to the recess 25 into which it extends so as to bring the tongues into positions where they will not enter those grooves in which they were initially located. For example if it is desired to adjust the center plate I5 upwardly one inch, said center plate, while elevated as in Figure 4, would be turned one step to bring the long tongues 24 into position above the next grooves 28. These positions of the parts have been shown in Figure 5. The car body is' then lowered so that the shifted tongues will enter the grooves therebelow with the exception of the short tongues 2| which will be supported above and spaced from the long grooves 21. When the center plate I5 is lowered those tongues which enter the respective grooves will engage and be supported by the cushions thereunder. A further upward adjustment can be effected by again jacking up the car body and turning the center plate I5 another point to bring the long tongues 24 above the grooves 29. Thereafter when the center plate I5 is lowered, tongues 24 will enter the grooves 29 so that the center plate I5 will thus be supported by two tongues only of each group, namely the tongues 24 and 23. Another adjustment will result in the tongues 24 being. brought into position to enter the grooves 30 and.

thus constitute the sole supports for the center plate I5.

The adjustment can be efiected readily after the body has been jacked up a distance slightly greater than the length of the tongues 24, it being obvious that that portion of the center plate I5 supported above the level of the bolster I can easily be reached for turning while it is being supported in its elevated position by the kingpin 6.

Should it be desired to remove the car body entirely from the center plate, all that is required vis to reach between the sills 2, swing the key 9 to a vertical position, as shown by broken lines in Fig. 6, and then lift the center filler 4 off the king-pin as the body is moved upwardly. The king-pin can or" course be separated from the center plate I5 simply by removing the supporting plate I8 and allowing the king-pin to slide out of the bore it after the center plate has been removed from recess 25.

By providing a structure such as herein described the adjustments can be effected very readily and means are likewise provided whereby the parts can be cushioned to reduce shock. As the bolster I is to be provided with side bearings similar to those shownin my patent heretofore referred to and as illustrated in my co-pending application filed September 30, 1941, Serial No. 413,066, it is desirable to provide cushioning pads 32 beneath the gudgeons 33 located at the ends of the side bearings one of which has been shown at 34.

It will be noted that the distance between the shoulder 26 and the upper end of the recess 25 is much greater than the length of the tongues 24. Thus when the center plate I5 is raised as in Fig. 4 for the purpose of making an adjustment, it 1 is kept centered within the recess and it becomes unnecessary to lift the center plate I5 completely out of said recess.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a bolster having a cylindrical recess and an annular shoulder in the recess, there being duplicate groups of parallelgrooves extending downwardly from the shoulder,v

each group including a long groove andshorter grooves, each of the shorter grooves of the group terminating at its lower end above the lower end of the next adjoining longer groove in the same group, of a cylindrical center plate mounted to slide and rotate in the recess and mounted for' withdrawal therefrom, and tongues on the center plate corresponding with and adapted to be seated within the grooves, the upper ends of the tongues being positioned in a plane located close tobut spaced from the shoulder in the recess, the depth of the recess being such that the wall of the recess will hold the center plate against lateral displacement relative to the bolster while the tongues are disengaged from the grooves.

2. The combination with a bolster having a cylindrical recess and an annular shoulder within the lower portion of the recess, there being duplicate groups of parallel grooves extending downwardly in the wall of the recess from the shoulder, each group including a long groove and shorter grooves, each of the shorter grooves of the group terminating at its lower end above the lower end of the next adjoining longer groove in the same group, of a core mounted to slideand rotate in the recess, and tongues on the core corresponding with and adapted to be seatedwithin the grooves, the length of the longest tongues being less than the distance between the shoulder and the upper end of the recess.

3. The combination with a bolster having a cylindrical recess and an annular shoulder within the lower portion of the recess, there being duplicate groups of parallel grooves extending downwardly in the wall of the recess from the shoulder, each group including a long groove and shorter grooves, each of the shorter grooves of the group terminating at its lower end above the lower end of the next adjoining longer groove in the same group, of a core mounted to slide and rotate in the recess, and tongues on the core corresponding with and adapted to be seated within the grooves, the length of the longest tongues being less than the distance between the shoulder and the, upper end of the recess, and cushioning means interposed between the lower ends of the groovesand the lower ends of the tongues.

4. The combination with a bolster having a cylindrical recess extending downwardly thereinto and an annular shoulder within the lower portion of the recess, there being parallel grooves in the wall of the recess and disposed in like groups, said grooves being extended downwardly from the shoulder, the lower ends of the grooves of each group being located to form steps ascending progressively in one direction within the recess, of a cylindrical center plate removably seated in and rotatable within the recess, groups of tongues on the center plate positioned for downward insertion into the respective grooves. the tongues of each group being stepped at their lower ends and proportioned to correspond with the grooves of one group the length of all of the tongues being less than the distance between the shoulder and the top of the recess, said recess constituting means for holding the center plate against diametrical displacement relative to the bolster while the tongues are disengaged from the grooves.

5. The combination with a bolster having a cylindrical recess extending downwardly thereinto and an annular shoulder within the lower portion of the recess, there being parallel grooves in the wall of the recess and disposed in like groups, said grooves being extended downwardly from the shoulder, the lower ends of the grooves of each group being located to form steps ascend-. ing progressively in one direction within the re cess, of a cylindrical center plate removably seated in and rotatable within the recess, groups of tongues on the center plate positioned for downward insertion into the respective grooves, the tongues of each group being stepped at their lower ends and proportioned to correspond with the grooves of one group the length of all of the tongues being less than the distance between the shoulder and the top of the recess, said recess constituting means for holding the center plate against diametrical displacement relative to the bolster while the tongues are disengaged from the grooves, and cushioning devices interposed between the bottoms of the grooves and the lower ends of the tongues.

HARVEY H. SHAFFER. 

